Flowers for bees?

[CrazyConure]

I want to help the bees out. I currently have sunflowers, marigolds, and bee balm. I also have some herbs.

Will this be enough to support the bees? What else can I plant to encourage them?

 

[Mark56]

Borage (Mediterranean herb) & phacelia tanacetifolia are top favourites. Try to plant in large clumps. Lavender, Agastaches, Salvias, lupins & linden trees are also great. There's hundreds of suitable perennials, just avoid ones with 'double flowers' as bees can't get to the pollen

 

[alp]

Knautia, any mauve flowers such as cosmos, single not double flowers as Mark has pointed out, mauve echinaceas,

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I want to help the bees out. I currently have...bee balm.
What else can I plant to encourage them?

Bee Balm is a good one! I assume you're referring to Monarda didyma, also known as Crimson Bee Balm. A close relative, Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot), is another good choice.

My garden is dedicated to pollinators. Here's some of the best bee attractors that I grow:
Blanket Flower (various Gaillardia species)
Purple Coneflower (echinacea purpurea)
Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)
Long-headed Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
Gray-headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
and many, many others.

The Blanket Flower (Gaillardia Goblin) that I grow is especially busy with bees in the summer. I grow a 4' by 4' patch of it and there are usually at least a few different species on it at any given time.


You can also add a native bee house (or many of them). They don't really live in it. They just lay their eggs in it and leave. Eventually (often, the following year), the eggs will hatch, the larvae forms into bees, and one day the bees will all crawl out warm up in the sun on top of the house, and then fly away to pollinate more plants. It'll attract many species of docile bees like Mason Bees and Leafcutter bees. You can also leave patches of bare soil for ground nesting bees like Sweat Bees.

 

[Daren]

Basically Bee's love flowers(most)... well most apart from a few stinkers that fly's tend to go for, & night flowering plants that tent to appeal to moths and other night birds. but natural native flowers are best for native bee's JB and most I think would agree. Stay away from pesticides, Is the most important thing. I love native I do Try exotic too. I'm trying to grow Echium's...... a bit of a challenge in England (for me I'm told bee's love them but Can't report success till I get a flower .....roll on summer!....................by the way I'm down to one Echium out of three lol So Native is Best

 

[roadrunner]

Some good reading material: http://theprepperproject.com/attracting-native-pollinators/

http://theprepperproject.com/why-you-should-make-a-mess-of-your-garden/

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/07/137550209/weeds-in-defense-of-botanys-cockroach

 

[Beverly]

Bees love Brazilian Verbena and go crazy for Antigonon leptopus (a tropical, semi-tropical vine with hot pink flowers). Wow! your tomatoes look beautiful, congratulations

 

[MaryMary]

From the website, "Buzz About Bees," I cut and pasted this list of links for you.
Here's the actual site:
http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bee-plants.html

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Garden Plants for Bees
Links to some lovely plants enjoyed by bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies. A seasonal guide.

Herbs for Bees
Many herbs are great for attracting bees, as well as being useful in the kitchen! Find out which ones are useful in the bee garden!

Wildflowers for Bees
Many wildflower habitats have been destroyed due to building development and farming practices. But you can help wildlife by including some in your garden design.

Flower Bulbs For Bees
Bulbs are easy to grow, and versatile for lawns, pots, borders and even problem places, such as shade and drought.

Lawns
Even if you only have a small space, here's how to use that space to encourage bees and other pollinating insects.

Trees, Shrubs and Hedgerows for Bees
Trees, shrubs and hedgerows provide excellent opportunities for wildlife. Bees may forage on nectar and pollen, and may also find suitable nest sites too!

Fruit and Vegetables
Fancy growing your own organic fruit & veg? Feed yourself and the bees too!

Plants for Problem Places
Even if you have clay soil, drought or shade, attracting bees is certainly possible!

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If you are not growing your own flowers from seed, try to only shop local, mom and pop shop nurseries. Somewhere you can ask them if they've sprayed the plants with any pesticides!!

https://www.gardening-forums.com/th...ly-plants-sold-with-a-side-of-pesticide.8997/

 

[GreenBean]

Everybody's suggestions have been great. I'd like to add an important source of bee forage: flowering trees and shrubs!

Some important nectar and pollen sources include: red maple, lilac, rose-of-sharon or rose mallow, willow, dogwood, fruit trees, tulip poplar, black locust, flowering brambles like blackberry and raspberry, azaleas, holly, and more.

It's also nice to let flowering weeds, like common chickweed, purple deadnettle, henbit deadnettle, gill-over-the-ground (ground ivy), yellow woodsorrell, and dandelions grow freely in your yard. Bees love these.

 

[LouisFerdinand]

Plants that attract Bees